I Need Help Finding a Good Way to Get My Son off the Binky

My son didn't take a binky but this is what I used to get him off the bottle. Have him throw his binky away himself. Tell him he is a big boy and doesn't need it anymore. Meanwhile keep an extra just in case. My son through his bottles away and I didn't need the emergency stash. Good luck.

I never gave my son a binky or a blankey. Only because I knew what it would be like to get him off of it. But I had friends who had a hard time getting their son off of one. It came down to them taking it off of him all together and never giving it back. It seem like he just wants something to suck on. So she started giving him Lolipops when he wanted it. I mean it sounds weird but it gave him something to suck on when he wanted calmed down and yeah it might be candy but she could have brushed his teeth afterwards. With a binky whats its doing with him teeth now will only cost him and you in the long run. I hope I was a little bit of help...

My daughter was also very attached to her paci. When I explained the Paci Fairy, she explained to me that was stealing & fairies don't steal. When one breaks she brings me her piggy bank and says she needs new pacis. She's 2 1/2 and we had cut back to her only using it at bedtime for several months. When we did this her speech exploded - so watch out! He'll be talking your head off in no time.

Well last week we were talking about going to see her new baby cousin (due this week) and Layla said, "Mommy! I can give my pacis to baby Avery, because she is a baby!" So I jumped on that. I found a tiny gift bag, we collected all her pacis in it, and packed it in our suitcase. We're paci free! She had a tough time getting to sleep the first night so I just stayed with her and rocked her. She's asked for it a few times since then, but I just remind her of where they went.

It's all about equipping them with other ways to calm themselves & then making yourself stick to it. Good luck!

Your son probably undertstands you, even if he can't talk. Do you subscribe to American Baby? The February (or is it March? Anyway, whichever magazine is out right now. It's the one with the contest winners in it from their modling contest) issue has a bunch of creative ideas of how mom's got their children to give up the pacifier. One that might work well with your son is something that one of the mom's pediatricians suggested. Cut a little piece off of the tip. Little by little cut another small piece off until finally all the suction is gone and he no longer wants it.
There were other ideas like "the binky fairy" in which the mom and daugter gathered up all the binkys and in their place the next morning were new toys and puzzles, and "Elmo had a baby and they don't sell Binkys on Sesame Street!" so the mom and daughter gathered them up and took a box of them to the post office along with a note that said "just throw this out after we leave." Another one that would probably work well with your son was what this mom did: they took all binkys but one and tied them to helium balloons and watched them fly off into the night. The last one they took to build-a-bear and put it inside the bear (like they do with the heart) and made a Binky bear. I think that's all of them that i rememember. Let me know what you decide!

I broke my son before he was even a year (he is 17 months now). So the way I did it may be a little tougher for you since your son will probably remember the bink.
One night while my son was asleep I crept into his to check on him and he had popped the bink out of his mouth, so I took it while he was sleeping and I hid it along with all his other binks. When he woke up he didn't miss it...not until naptime and I just stuck to my word that I wasn't going to give it to him and eventually he forgot all about it. For a while he would cry but he also had a bottle for a few more weeks and then he had a sippy cup so he didn't think about his bink unless he saw another kid with one, but he eventually got over that too.
I hope this helps you.

Hi M.,

I recently responded to another mom's post on this subject. Here is what I wrote:

Don't worry! If my daughter could break the habit, there is hope for anyone. She was truly hooked on the bink. I got lots of advice, but nothing worked for us in the beginning. Cold turkey ended up in hysterics and vomiting. The Binky Fairy was a joke. She couldn't care less if other little babies needed the binky more than she. When I told her that it was broken and had to be thrown out, she told me she would use her money to buy a new one (so much for teaching her about money!).

What finally worked for us was this: we cut a small hole in the tip of the binky so that there was no more suction. She didn't seem to mind this and kept it in her mouth anyway. We left her like this for a while since I felt that it was no longer a threat to her teeth and wasn't hurting anyone (she only used it at bedtime). Then, later on, I cut a bit more off, then some more, and then more gradually until there was just a stump of the nipple left. At this point, she held the plastic part in her hand at night for several weeks. This was also fine with me, and I let her have it. Finally, one day, she told me she didn't want the binky in her crib anymore. I took it away and haven't heard about it since.

We started this process shortly after her second birthday, and it took just a couple months, I think. Meanwhile, her baby sister was using a binky the whole time, and this didn't cause any problems. I worried a lot about this issue, but they really do give it up when they're ready. I've never seen a kid go to college with a binky!

Good luck!

Hi M.,

My daughter just took the binky off her son for the same reason his teeth, he just turned 2.She just one day when he woke up she just took the binky and put it away and told we couldn't find it. he moan & groan for a few days, one in awhile he will ask for it and we just ignore it. You can also try just to give it to when he tired and cranky and as soon as he asleep take it and hide. sometimes it easier when you don't have it out in plain site. and let him have it if necessary.

i agree with all the mommies responses, especially nikki's. i think the build-a-bear idea is great! i always knew about the balloon thing, but the bear idea is wonderful in my opinion. thankfully, with 4 children, i never had that problem. my kids didn't like the bink....although there were days that i wish they had! good luck!

My son stopped using the binky at 2 1/2. One day I was so frustrated with him wanting it, i secretly cut the tip off. When he went to get it, i told him it broke because he is too big. He cried for maybe half hour the first nite then nothing. After three nights, I took it away.

hello M.,
i read on here previously about the build a bear, my son who is 3 just went this past sunday and we built a monkey aptly he named him monkeyboy ninny bear.....it was so much fun we prepped him all week and when we got there he tossed both his ninnys in there no problem then we took him to pick out a big boy toy at kb.....smoooooth.......then came bed time, he asked for the ninny i explained again he put it in monkeyboy ninny bear well he wanted nothing to do with ninny bear because "him took my ninny put in his belly and closed up, take him downstairs me dont like him nomore mommy" and tears for about an hour until i left the room he fell asleep in 10 minutes awoke around midnight cryed for about another hour....day2 he asks for the ninny and i said we dont have it anymore remember he replies in monkeyboy ninny bear i say yes he says ok asleep in 10 minutes no tears no fuss....today is day 5 hasnt mentioned the ninny since monday night.....so i recommend build a bear.

I got the hint from a mother at Picture People and it worked: cut the tip off the Binky~ My daughter was about 2 1/2 when we did this and she did not want it because it was "broken". That was it~ I think it worked because we did not take it from her...she was able to make the choice on her own (with our help behind the scenes)

I recently (as of yesterday) got my 17 month old son off the binky. I lucked out and we quit cold turkey and he has seemed to be fine with it.

One thing that my sister suggested though was that you snip just the very tip of the pacifiers off. They then cannot get suction on them. After a few days snip off more, and then so on and so on. Soon enough they won't want it because there is not much there to want.

I started to do this with my youngest, and cut what I thought was all of our pacifiers. This seemed to be working great. However, he found one that wasn't cut. He then knew that one wasn't cut and had a fit if we gave him a cut one. I then took a road trip alone with my kids and gave in and bought more.

If you try this tactic I strongly recommend that you make sure you have all the pacifiers cut.

Good luck!

I have heard of people taking there child to a build a bear workshop and building a bear and then putting the binky inside of the bear so it is always with them. Its a cute idea. Good luck

HI M. I HAVE FOUR CHILDREN AND HAVE BEEN IN THE DAYCARE BUSINESS FOR ABOUT 13-14 YEARS. IT REALLY IS EASIER IF YOU TAKE IT WHEN THEY ARE YOUNGER. I TOOK ALL MINE AROUND 6-7 MONTHS AND IT WENT PRETTY SMOOTHLY. I HAVE HAD CHILDREN IN MY CARE AND HELPED PARENTS BREAK THEIR CHILDREN OF THE BINKY. TO BE HONEST YOU ARE JUST GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE IT FROM HIM. DO NOT GIVE IT BACK. HE WILL CRY AND MAYBE EVEN HAVE A FEW TEMPER TANTRUMS. IT WONT LAST LONG WITHIN A WEEK HE WILL BE FINE, I SEE YOU HAVE ANOTHET LITTLE ONE IF HE ALSO IS STILL ON THE BINKY YOU MAY WANT TO TRY TO TAKE HIS TOO IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER ON THE OLDER CHILD AND YOU TO GET IT ALL DONE AT ONCE. IF HE CRIES TRY TO OCCUPY HIM WITH SOMETHING ELSE. JUST BE PATIENT HONEY HE WILL ADJUST REALITIVELY FAST. YOU MAY WANT TO CAVE IN AND GIVE IT BACK (I KNOW ITS HARD TO SEE THEM CRY AND THE FIX IS RIGHT THERE TO MAKE IT BETTER.) BUT ITS IMPOTANT NOT TO GO BACK AND FORTH TAKING GIVING IT BACK. GOOD LUCK STEPH

The Supernanny showed parents that they could send the binky off to the binky fairy to give to a baby to use. Tie it to several helium balloons, take it outside and let it float away to the binky fairy. Make a huge celebration of the fact that he's big enough to do it now. The little child on TV looked so proud to help a baby! But make sure you talk it up really well before you just send all the binkies off to oblivion--you want him to be on board with it. If he's not, maybe you can start with one and celebrate that little step in a big way. Maybe a cake afterward? Make him feel like he's doing a special thing, not preventing future dental issues, which he'll care nothing about. : )

D.

If you are seeing the effects of the binky on his teeth and speech than I agree it is time. It's going to be tough! Probably tougher on you than on him but you will both make it through. I have heard people leave it for the binky fairy to take to babies that need it and then the fairy leaves a big boy toy. and i've heard of tying a balloon to it and letting it go in the sky for a baby to find and have. whatever way you decide, i would build your son up for it. talk about doing it for a few days so he can understand what is going to happen...that the binky will be gone for good. i feel the best way is "cold turkey" get it out of the house...don't keep one for "just in case" because that will do no good. if its not in the house then you can't cave in and give it to him when he is crying for it. like i said it will be hard to watch him cry but he will be ok and the longer you wait the harder it will get. remember you for doing it to benefit him. he cannot walk around with a binky forever. be prepared for some tearful days and nights but eventually he will not even miss it. if he doesn't have a blanket try to find something else he can find security in to comfort him. if the 15 month old has one too you will need to break him of it too at the same time. your 2 1/2 year old will not understand y the other can have it and he can't.

maybe talking about being a big boy without it and give him rewards for going and being without it telling him it is because he such a big boy